Dark Shadows
by mystery837
Summary: ThunderClan apprentice Nightpaw receives an ominous prophecy predicting a dark time coming to the forest. He suspects a warrior called Darkfoot, but he is the brother of the ThunderClan leader, Icestar. Will she listen to any words against her brother?R
1. Allegiancies

Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

Leader

Icestar – beautiful silver-blue she-cat with bright blue eyes.

Deputy

Foxtail – ginger tom with a long, bushy, white-tipped tail like a fox's.

Medicine Cat

Goldmist – pretty gold she-cat with green eyes.

Warriors

Tigerflower – dark brown tabby she-cat. (Appr = Rosepaw)

Darkfoot – jet-black tom with icy blue eyes. (Appr = Barkpaw)

Woodstripe – young brown tom with thin dark brown stripes. (Appr = Silverpaw)

Whiterock – huge white tom with pale grey patches and huge paws. Yellow eyes. (Appr = Nettlepaw)

Harewhisker – light brown tom with darker points and amber eyes.

Bluefire – smoky grey tom with intensely blue eyes. (Appr = Skypaw)

Snowpetal – snow white long-haired she cat with green eyes.

Shadowstripe – mysterious dark grey tom with black stripes.

Tawnyleaf – pretty tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes. (Appr = Nightpaw)

Sparrowtail – small brown tabby tom with yellow eyes, skilled hunter.

Apprentices

Nightpaw – jet-black tom with bright green eyes and a small whit spot on his chest.

Nettlepaw – pale grey tom with darker flecks and yellow eyes.

Rosepaw – pretty light brown she-cat with a white chest and paws.

Silverpaw – very beautiful silver she-cat with green eyes.

Skypaw – fluffy pale grey she-cat with blue eyes.

Barkpaw – small dark brown tom.

Queens

Moonflower – beautiful silver she-cat with a white chest and paws. (Kits = Owlkit, Shadekit)

Firebird – fiery ginger she-cat. (Kits = Greykit, Lightkit)

Rainstorm – pretty white she-cat with brown patches. (Kits = Frostkit, Poppykit, Hawkkit)

Elders

Lostfoot – grey tom with a twisted forepaw.

Stoneclaw – black tom with white paws.

Blacktail – black she-cat.

**WindClan**

Leader

Swiftstar – lithe white tom with a black-tipped tail.

Deputy

Swiftfur – silver she-cat with a white chest and silver-blue eyes. Daughter of Swiftstar.

Medicine Cat 

Grassfeather – white she-cat with a light brown tail and light green eyes.

Warriors

Sunclaw – ginger tom with dark brown eyes. (Appr = Shadowpaw)

Violetflight – pale ginger she-cat with darker stripes and pale blue eyes.

Leaptail – white she-cat with black hind legs. (Appr = Darkpaw)

Bramblefur – light brown tom with one white paw and green eyes. (Appr = Leopardpaw)

Birdflight – white she-cat with light ginger patches and pale blue eyes.

Branchclaw – brown she-cat with a claw-like mark on her right side.

Minteyes – creamy white she-cat with blue markings and pale green eyes. (Appr = Applepaw)

Flameshadow – black tom with unusual orange paws, belly and tail-tip.

Bluepelt – silver-blue tom. (Appr = Patchpaw)

Silverheart – silver she-cat with silver eyes.

Twigsnap – light brown she-cat with green eyes. (Appr = Streampaw)

Stormtail – light grey tom with black eyes. (Appr = Blossompaw)

Shadowstalker – black tom with a white chest.

Apprentices

Streampaw – pale blue she-cat with light blue eyes.

Blossompaw – tortoiseshell she-cat with dark green eyes.

Leopardpaw – pale brown tom with dark brown spots.

Darkpaw – black she-cat.

Patchpaw – black and white tom.

Shadowpaw – black tom with a white ring around his right eye.

Applepaw – pale yellow she-cat with dark blue eyes and an orange nose.

Queens

Whitewind – creamy white pelt with light, oak-coloured speckles. (Kits = Pricklekit, Swallowkit)

Crowpelt – pretty black she-cat. (Kits = Treekit, Oakkit, Molekit)

Snakebite – black and white she-cat. (Kits = Earthkit, Mosskit, Snowkit)

Elders

Volenose – skinny brown tom.

Owltail – brown and white she-cat.

**RiverClan**

Leader

Silverstar – silver she-cat with darker flecks and a battle scar on her chest.

Deputy

Fernthunder – silver-blue she-cat with bright green eyes. (Appr = Sweetpaw)

Medicine Cat

Moonstream – silver tabby she-cat with black stripes and ice blue eyes. (Appr = Windpaw)

Warriors

Sparknose – dark ginger tom with a bright red streak along his back.

Waterreed – blue tom with splashes of brown.

Dapplefern – dark yellow she-cat with ginger and blue markings.

Flamewolf – black tom with ginger patches.

Reedpelt – tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes. (Appr = Leafpaw)

Shiningheart – silver tabby she-cat with white paws, chest, belly, ears and black tail tip.

Darkriver – sturdy dark brown tabby tom with white paws, chest, tail tip. (Appr = Ripplepaw)

Riverclaw – dark grey tom with dark blue eyes.

Bumblestripe – brown tabby tom with dark brown stripes.

Firepelt – dark brown tabby tom with fiery amber eyes.

Swifttail – black tom with white spots and black eyes.

Apprentices

Leafpaw – pale yellow she-cat with a white chest, belly and tail.

Windpaw – white tom with light grey streaks.

Sweetpaw – light ginger she-cat with one white paw and light green eyes.

Ripplepaw – light grey tabby she-cat with light blue eyes.

Queens

Willowsong – pale grey pelt with bluish-green eyes. (Kits = Swankit, Whitekit, Fangkit)

Pebblemist – light grey tabby with blue eyes. (Kits = Emberkit, Rainkit, Barkkit, Waterkit, Shallowkit)

Brightmoon – beautiful golden tabby with bright green eyes. (Kits = Flightkit, Slashkit)

Flowerpelt – pale ginger she-cat with light flecks. (Kits = expecting)

**ShadowClan**

Leader

Darkstar – huge jet-black tom with red eyes and a scar over his right eye.

Deputy

Batslash – dark brown tom with amber eyes.

Medicine Cat

Blackleaf – black she-cat with light brown eyes. (Appr = Hawkpath)

Warriors

Bloodclaw – dark ginger tom with a huge scar across his back and part of his tail missing.

Owlfang – light grey tabby tom with brown patches.

Moonpelt – she-cat with dark silver fur that shines in the moonlight and dark grey eyes.

Shadowscar – almost black she-cat with lighter flecks and amber eyes. (Appr = Heartpaw)

Shadowclaw – dark brown tom with black stripes and yellow eyes. (Appr = Larkpaw)

Rippleshadow – dark grey tom with brown eyes. (Appr = Wolfpaw)

Mudleaf – dark brown tom with golden patches.

Redfoot – dark brown tabby tom with blood-stained claws.

Hawktalon – light brown tabby with white underbelly and blue eyes. (Appr = Swiftpaw)

Mayis – pretty light brown she-cat with white chest and paws. Former rouge, but now Darkstar's mate.

Apprentices

Swiftpaw – ginger tom with dark brown patches.

Wolfpaw – light brown tom with dark brown stripes on his back and paws.

Heartpaw – ginger she-cat with light blue eyes.

Hawkpath – jet black tom with a white chest, paws, ears, and tail.

Larkpaw – small dark brown tom.

Queens

Voleheart – dark brown she-cat with lighter flecks. (Kits = Rockkit, Cloudkit, Branchkit, Marshkit)

Smokewing – dark grey pelt with amber eyes. (Kits = Whitekit, Dawnkit)

Fallensky – black and white she-cat with green eyes. (Kit = Coalkit)

Skybreath – beautiful blue she-cat with wisps of white. (Kits = Fawnkit, Shiningkit, Pinekit, Specklekit)

**Others**

Khemi – beautiful blue-silver former kittypet she-cat with ice blue eyes.

Crookedclaw – huge pale ginger tom with a crooked front paw.

Jaggedstep – pitch black tom with eerie yellow eyes.

Raggedclaw – jet black tom with white paws.


	2. Prophecy

Nightpaw opened his eyes. He was running through a forest in the middle of newleaf. The undergrowth felt soft and familiar beneath his paws, but he couldn't remember ever being here before. He thought he caught snatches of familiar scent, but as soon as he tried to consider them, they vanished. Up ahead, he could see a huge tree. Its top branches weren't even visible through the thick cloud that swirled around its trunk. Nightpaw slowed, and looked over his shoulder, confused. The sky behind him was as blue as a jay's feathers.

He stared up at the forbidding tree, watching the clouds grow darker and darker until they were almost black. Suddenly a voice spoke, rattling the trees and shaking the earth. "A time of great change is upon us. Darkness will deceive the narrow-minded, but the night shall speak the truth. The dawn will only come when shadows find their place, and stars return from the sky."

Nightpaw woke with a start. Dawn light was just seeping through the branches of the apprentice den. "Nightpaw," Rosepaw whispered. "Tawnyleaf told me to tell you that she wants you to come on the dawn patrol with us."

Nightpaw sat up and stretched. "Okay. I'm just coming." He gave himself a quick wash and stepped out into the weak early morning sunshine. His mentor, Tawnyleaf, was pacing around the entrance to the camp, her tortoiseshell pelt shining in the sunlight. Beside her sat Tigerflower. The dark tabby warrior was known for being sharp and hot-headed. He quickened his pace as he padded across the still-sleeping camp. He didn't want to give her an excuse to start telling him off for something. "Finally," she sighed, jumping to her feet. "Let's go." She bolted out of the camp, Rosepaw hot on her heels.

Once they were far enough from the camp, they slowed their pace until it was a comfortable trot. "I thought we would check the ShadowClan border, and then stop by the old birch for a spot of hunting," Tawnyleaf meowed. They changed direction so that they were heading for ShadowClan territory. "Keep your wits about you."

As soon as they reached the border, the sharp tang of ShadowClan filled Nightpaw's nostrils. He wrinkled his nose, trying to wash the scent out. A patrol had passed this way recently. Nightpaw heard a growl rumble low in Tigerflower's throat. "Better mark the border again," she said. "We don't want to give them an excuse to attack."

Suddenly, a bush quivered, and the ShadowClan apprentice Larkpaw dashed into the open, his eyes fixed on the squirrel he was chasing. "He's going to cross the border," Rosepaw gasped. The dark brown apprentice hadn't noticed the border approaching fast. He leapt forward, grabbed the squirrel and rolled with it across the border. Tigerflower snarled in anger and flung herself on top of the unsuspecting apprentice. He squealed in shock and tried to wriggle free of Tigerflower's grip, but she was too strong for him. "Stealing prey from ThunderClan, you mangy ShadowClan piece of fox dung?" she growled.

Suddenly, a large brown shape burst out of the bushes and crashed into Tigerflower, knocking her clean off of Larkpaw. Rosepaw dashed forward to swipe at Larkpaw, spitting and hissing. The ShadowClan warriors Rippleshadow and Owlfang emerged from the bracken on the ShadowClan side. Nightpaw jumped forward to fight, but Tawnyleaf grabbed his tail. "Stop!" she yowled. Rosepaw backed off, still snarling, but Tigerflower was still wrestling with Shadowclaw. Tawnyleaf darted forward, and pushed Shadowclaw back over the border. Tigerflower sat down, and began to smooth her fur.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize ShadowClan weren't allowed to hunt their own prey on their own territory without ThunderClan sticking their grimy noses in!" spat Shadowclaw.

"Larkpaw crossed the border," hissed Tawnyleaf defiantly. "That was ThunderClan prey."

"It was in ShadowClan territory when he killed it. He didn't cross intentionally, it was an accident! ShadowClan will not be blamed if ThunderClan does not have enough warriors to mark its borders properly!"

Tigerflower snarled and spat on the ground. "Why don't you come over here and say that, you mouse-brained coward? We just marked the border! Maybe your medicine cat should check your noses are working properly!"

Shadowclaw took a step forward, but then thought better of it. Rippleshadow padded up to his side, his tail lashing, and his dark brown eyes narrowed. "Come on," he meowed. "They're not worth it." The four cats back away slowly, and disappeared into the bracken.

"ShadowClan scum," Tawnyleaf hissed. "We'd better get back to camp and report to Icestar. I'll take you out hunting later, Nightpaw." Tawnyleaf turned and streaked away through the forest.

Nightpaw followed behind Rosepaw. He was disappointed not to be able to get in on the action. It was the first exciting thing that had happened in ages. As he bolted through the forest, the memory of his dream came flooding back to him. What could it mean? Was a dark time really coming to the peaceful forest? And was ShadowClan the root of it?

***

By the time Tawnyleaf and Nightpaw arrived back at the camp, it was almost sunset. He had managed to catch two mice _and _a young rabbit. Tawnyleaf said the rabbit counted for two pieces of fresh-kill. He dragged the rabbit and a mouse over to the nursery with some difficulty. He peered into the gloomy den, and saw Moonflower and Firebird sharing tongues while their kits played in the centre of the den. Rainstorm, a pretty brown and white queen, was nursing her brand new kits in the most sheltered corner of the nursery.

"Nightpaw," she mewed softly, sounding tired. "Have you brought some prey for us?"

"Yes. I've got a rabbit and a mouse," he replied.

"Perfect!" meowed Moonflower. "And about time too."

Moonflower and Firebird shared the rabbit, while Nightpaw offered Rainstorm the mouse. "Your kits are beautiful," he mewed gently, admiring the tiny bundles of fur.

"Thank you," she smiled. "The white one is Frostkit, the light brown one with the white chest is Poppykit, and I haven't named the dark brown one yet," she said fondly, laying her tail tip gently on each of the kits as she named them.

"Why haven't you named him yet?" Nightpaw asked, slightly confused.

"No inspiration, I guess. He's my only tom," Rainstorm replied, frowning slightly. "You haven't got any ideas, have you?"

Nightpaw looked closely at the tiny brown kit. "Hawkkit?" he asked tentatively. "He looks the same colour."

Rainstorm's face lit up. "Yes! Perfect. Hawkkit," she mewed fondly, gazing at the fluffy brown kit.

"Well, I had better go and see if I'm needed," Nightpaw sighed, and dipped his head respectfully.

"Goodbye," called Moonflower as he stepped into the gradually darkening clearing.

Out of nowhere, a sharp breeze ruffled his pelt. It reminded him of darkness and shadows. He got a strong feeling that there was something ominous on the horizon, something lurking, just waiting to pounce, like a hunter stalking its prey. Somewhere deep in his ear, he heard a dark voice whispering, "_A time of great change is upon us. Darkness will deceive the narrow-minded, but the night shall speak the truth. The dawn will only come when shadows find their place, and stars return from the sky..."_

Nightpaw woke the next morning, feeling well rested. His dreams hadn't been plagued by threatening prophecies that night. As he stretched, he noticed Nettlepaw stirring in the nest next to him. He opened his yellow eyes sleepily and saw Nightpaw watching him. "Morning," he meowed, sitting up. "Shall we go and get some fresh-kill then?"

He followed Nettlepaw out into the camp, and towards the fresh-kill pile. Nettlepaw bounded over to his mentor, Whiterock. Nightpaw liked Whiterock. He was a huge white tom with light grey patches and enormous paws. Whiterock turned away from Harewhisker and Snowpetal, and touched noses with Nettlepaw.

"What do you think about some hunting today, Nettlepaw?" he asked, his yellow eyes gleaming. "And then I think it's your turn to change the elders' bedding."

Nettlepaw turned to Nightpaw. "Maybe you could come hunting with us, Nightpaw?" he asked.

"I'm sure Tawnyleaf would let me," Nightpaw replied. "Maybe we could invite Silverpaw too?"

Whiterock purred in amusement. He turned back to Harewhisker and Snowpetal, and they resumed their conversation. The two apprentices trotted over to the fresh-kill pile. Nightpaw suddenly found himself to be starving. He chose a plump squirrel, while Nettlepaw selected a thrush. They carried their fresh-kill over to where Whiterock was still talking with Harewhisker and Snowpetal. Nightpaw began to eat, as he listened to the warriors' conversation.

"I think we should act _now_," Harewhisker meowed urgently. "Before the situation gets any worse!"

"You must calm down, Harewhisker!" Snowpetal encouraged, gently. "If we attack we will be shedding blood for no reason. It was only one apprentice that crossed the border, not the whole of ShadowClan! And you know Icestar, she'll want to work out an entire battle strategy before we do anything!"

"True, but we don't want to seem weak," Whiterock mewed, thoughtfully. The rest of his sentence was interrupted by a call from the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here below the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

Icestar's familiar yowl echoed around the hollow. The three warriors heaved themselves to their feet, and padded over towards the Highledge. Nightpaw took a few quick bites of his squirrel, before going to find a place near the other apprentices. He sat down next to Rosepaw. Her light brown fur was brushing the pale grey fur of Skypaw, her best friend. The two apprentices turned to look at him. Rosepaw's amber eyes were full of warmth, but Skypaw looked irritated. Her blue eyes reminded him of chips of ice.

Warriors were beginning to emerge from all over the hollow. Sparrowtail and Tigerflower padded over from were they had been eating. Bluefire and Woodstripe stepped out from the warriors den, followed by Tawnyleaf. Moonflower and Firebird pushed their way out of the nursery. Rainstorm stayed with her kits, as they were too young for her to leave. Finally, Darkfoot strode into the hollow, his huge jet black paws making no sound on the floor. Behind him came Shadowstripe, a dark grey tom with black stripes. They sat together, a little apart from the rest of the clan. Goldmist, the medicine cat, and Foxtail the deputy scrambled down from Highledge, where they had obviously been talking with Icestar. Foxtail sat underneath the protruding rock, while Goldmist settled in front of her den.

Icestar waited for the clan to settle. Once she had their attention, she began to speak.

"I'm sure many of you have heard about the little incident with ShadowClan at our border yesterday," she meowed. There was some muttering at these words. Every cat in the clan knew what had happened. "I want to assure you all that we will not attack ShadowClan. We must show them that ThunderClan is not afraid of smells! However, we will be posting twice the number of patrols along that border. And, believe me, if they put one toe across our border again, be it accidental or not, we will show them that ThunderClan has more than enough warriors to protect itself!"

At these words, there were numerous yowls of agreement. Once the noise had died down, Bluefire spoke up. "It is very possible that ShadowClan will attack _us_ first," he pointed out, his voice full of concern. "I think we should have at least two cats on watch at all times, and leave a sufficient number of warriors in camp."

"That is true, Bluefire. However with all the extra patrols _and _leaving warriors in camp, hunting parties will have to be organised very carefully," Icestar replied. "I will leave that up to Foxtail." Foxtail nodded. "Well, if that's all," she meowed, and disappeared back inside her den.

Tawnyleaf padded up to Nightpaw. "You can stay in camp until sunhigh," she mewed. "After that, there's a patrol going out along the ShadowClan border, and then we can do some battle training in the hollow with Skypaw and Barkpaw."

"I was going to go hunting with Nettlepaw," he mewed hesitantly. "I could do that before sunhigh instead?"

"Okay, but you're going to be tired! You don't want to too exhausted for the Gathering!" she replied.

"I'm going?" he asked, feeling excitement sweep through his body.

"If you want," Tawnyleaf meowed, looking amused.

"Of course I do!" Nightpaw meowed eagerly. He trotted over towards where Nettlepaw was waiting with Whiterock and the brown tabby warrior Sparrowtail. The four cats streaked into the forest. Nightpaw felt his paws tingling with anticipation. He couldn't wait until that evening!


	3. Gathering

Later that evening, Nightpaw sat waiting beside the bramble tunnel. Beside him sat Skypaw and Silverpaw. Nettlepaw, Barkpaw and Rosepaw were staying behind in camp. Icestar had chosen to leave some of the strongest fighters in camp, in case ShadowClan decided to stir up trouble. Accompanying Nightpaw to the gathering were Goldmist, Foxtail, Rainmask, Bluefire, Snowpetal, Darkfoot, and Shadowstripe. Nighpaw wasn't sure it was wise to bring Darkfoot to the Gathering. He didn't know why, but he got a strange feeling that the jet-black warrior was not to be trusted.

Once the final cat had assembled outside the bramble tunnel, Icestar pelted up the slope and out into the forest. Nightpaw quickened his pace so that he was running alongside Silverpaw. They kept their pace until they reached the stream that separated WindClan territory from ThunderClan territory. Once they reached the barren moorland, they slowed to a trot. By the time they reached the tree bridge, both RiverClan and WindClan had already arrived.

Nightpaw stepped off the bridge and looked around for his Clanmates. Icestar was looking over her shoulder nervously, her silver-blue tail flicking anxiously. Rainmask padded up to her and touched his nose to her shoulder. His emerald green eyes were full of concern, but he looked slightly distracted.

"Come on, Icestar. Not even Darkstar would dare anger StarClan so much as to launch an attack on our camp on the night of a Gathering!" he meowed gently.

"Yes... yes, I suppose you're right. And the moon is still shining, which must mean that StarClan is happy," she sighed. "Okay, let's go." With a flick of her tail, the ThunderClan warriors followed their leader towards the clearing in the centre of the island.

As they emerged into the clearing, Nightpaw was hit by the powerful mixed scent of RiverClan and WindClan. He followed Silverpaw towards two WindClan apprentices. One was a pale blue she-cat, and the other a tortoiseshell. "Hi Streampaw, Blossompaw!" Silverpaw mewed eagerly. "This is Nightpaw, by the way."

"Hello, Nightpaw," Streampaw meowed, her light blue eyes glowing. Blossompaw merely nodded.

"So, Silverpaw, how's the training going?" asked Streampaw. The two apprentices immediately launched into an intense conversation about their mentors, while Nightpaw was left to talk to Blossompaw.

"So... how's the prey running in WindClan?" he asked, nervously.

"Fine, thank you. I heard ThunderClan had a bit of a border skirmish with ShadowClan yesterday," she replied, surveying him with pretty deep green eyes.

"Yes," he mewed. "We're all fine though. We drove them back." He didn't want to make his clan seem weak.

"That's good," she mewed coolly. "Talking of ShadowClan, where are they?"

Just as she spoke, the tell-tale scent of ShadowClan filled Nightpaw's nose. Nightpaw looked around, and saw the huge outline of a jet-black tom swaggering across the moonlit clearing. He was far bigger than any of the cats around him, except for perhaps the dark brown warrior walking beside him. He had a huge ugly scar across his left eye, but his one good eye glowed blood red. He realised that this must be the ShadowClan leader, Darkstar. Nightpaw shivered. If there was going to be a battle with ShadowClan, he didn't fancy any cat's chances against Darkstar.

He noticed a sinister-looking dark ginger warrior padding across to talk with Darkfoot. The ginger warrior had a long scar across his back, and part of his tail was missing. Shadowclaw was following him. Nightpaw recognised his dark brown pelt with black stripes and his yellow eyes from the border fight the previous morning. Next to Shadowclaw walked a muscular dark grey tom with brown eyes. He looked over his shoulder guiltily, and Nightpaw recognised Rippleshadow, a cat who had been pointed out to him by Tawnyleaf at a previous Gathering. He wasn't sure what the sinister trio were doing talking with the ThunderClan leader's brother, and he wasn't sure he liked it. _Maybe they're just being friendly_, he thought to himself. But, as he watched the three cats settled around Darkfoot, he wasn't so sure that any of the four cats had ever been friendly towards any cat in their entire lives.

Darkstar didn't stop to talk to anyone. The other cats drew back slightly as he and his deputy, Batslash, passed them. Darkstar ignored the other leaders gathered around the oak tree, and leaped up onto one of the branches. Icestar clambered up after him, followed by Silverstar, the RiverClan leader, and Swiftstar, the WindClan leader.

Silverstar let out a yowl to start the Gathering, and silence fell over the clearing. Nightpaw trotted forward to sit in between Rainmask and a dark ginger RiverClan warrior with a red streak along his spine, called Sparknose. Although Silverstar had begun to speak, he noticed that Sparknose's amber eyes were fixed on a creamy-white she-cat with pale green eyes. There was something in his intense stare that Nightpaw could not put his finger on, but it was almost like sadness.

Nightpaw turned his attention back to Silverstar, who was just finishing. When she was done, she nodded towards Icestar, who stood up and addressed the listening cats.

"Prey is running well in ThunderClan territory, especially along the ShadowClan border," Icestar began, with a meaningful glance towards Darkstar, who bared his teeth, but didn't interrupt. "ThunderClan wishes to let _every cat_," she put a great deal of stress on the words, "Know that ThunderClan is as strong as ever, and we will not tolerate any crossings of our borders without good reason." There were a few yowls of agreement among the ThunderClan cats, while a few ShadowClan warriors hissed menacingly.

Icestar stood back, and Swiftstar began to speak, his white pelt glowing silver in the moonlight. Nightpaw let his attention wander until it was Darkstar's turn to speak. The huge tom stepped forward and spoke in a low, rough voice.

"Prey has also been running well with us. We have no news to report." He stepped back, and leaped down from the tree, calling his warriors to him. The other leaders took this as a cue to leave. Icestar padded across the clearing towards the ThunderClan cats, her blue eyes cold and full of anger. She strode towards the treebridge, without checking to see if her warriors were following her. The ThunderClan cats hurried after their leader, muttering amongst themselves.

Nightpaw could sense something brewing in the thick atmosphere. He felt sure that ShadowClan had something to do with it, but he had no idea what _it_ could be.


	4. Battle

Nightpaw woke, suddenly. Tawnyleaf was prodding him frantically with her paw. "ShadowClan are attacking!" she yowled, sounding terrified.

Nightpaw leapt to his feet and raced into the camp. It was a mass of screeching, writhing cats. Behind him, his denmates spilled out of their den and stared, wide-eyed at the furious battle.

"Don't just stand there, _do something_!" screeched Tigerflower, as she rolled past battling with a huge dark brown tabby.

"Redfoot," hissed Rosepaw, as she leaped forward to help. Nightpaw looked around for Tawnyleaf, but as he did, he spotted Darkstar and Hawktalon in a furious tussle with Foxtail, just outside the nursery. They had the ginger deputy pinned to the ground, and as Nightpaw watched, Hawktalon bit down furiously on his tail. Foxtail let out a screech of pain.

_They're going to kill him! _Nightpaw thought desperately to himself. Before he knew what he was doing, he had crossed the hollow in a few desperate bounds and flung himself right on top of the ShadowClan leader's back. Darkstar screeched in shock and pain, and tried to roll over onto his back. Suddenly, Nightpaw felt a sort of calm wash over him. This was just like training. He knew exactly what to do.

He leapt off Darkstar's back just as the black warrior was about to roll over, and landed perfectly on his soft, unprotected underbelly. He clawed with all his might, but Darkstar was stronger and more experienced. Using his hindpaws, he expertly flipped Nightpaw off him, and streaked away, back towards the centre of the battle. Nightpaw ran after him, only to be cut off by Batslash, the ShadowClan deputy.

"What's a little kit like you doing so far from the nursery?" he growled, his amber eyes gleaming with excitement.

_He's actually _enjoying _this_, thought Nightpaw to himself. "In ThunderClan we fight with claws, not words!" he hissed, leaping at the huge, dark brown tom. He had managed to take the larger cat by surprise, but Batslash was one of the best fighters in the forest. Nightpaw managed to give him few scratches, but before he knew which way was up the dark brown warrior had flipped him over and slammed him to the ground, pressing his nose into the dirt.

"Like that, kit?" Batslash hissed in Nightpaw's ear. His next sentence was cut off by a furious yowl. Batslash's weight vanished. Nightpaw scrambled to his feet, and looked around wildly for his saviour. He caught a glimpse of silver-blue fur and realised that Icestar herself had slammed into the ShadowClan deputy's side and was now clawing him furiously while he squealed like a kit.

Next to Icestar, Darkfoot was battling Bloodclaw. Nightpaw had started forward to help, when he noticed something strange. As Darkfoot raised a forepaw to swipe at the dark ginger warrior, Nightpaw saw that his claws were sheathed. However, he had no time to consider this, as a small ginger shape slammed into his side, knocking the wind out of him. He recognised the light blue eyes of Heartpaw, before she started scratching and clawing him for all she was worth. Luckily, she had positioned herself badly, and so it was easy for him to roll over and leap behind her. He bit down hard on her tail, which was enough to send her shrieking through the bracken tunnel.

"Retreat!" called a deep voice, and Nightpaw saw Darkstar yowling to his warriors. The remaining ShadowClan cats streaked out of the camp and into the forest. The only enemy cat that was left in the clearing was Batslash, who was still being mercilessly pummelled by Icestar. "And don't... come... back... again!" she screeched, landing a vicious blow in between each word, before finally letting the battered tom pelt after his Clanmates, his eyes wide with fright.

The battered warriors gathered automatically around the Highrock. Icestar was bleeding from a deep gash on her shoulder, and she had scratch marks across her back. However, she still seemed strong enough to clamber up to Highledge and gaze down proudly at her Clan. "You fought well," she meowed. "If they thought ThunderClan was a push-over, we certainly proved them wrong tonight. All injured cats, go and see Goldmist immediately, and then get some sleep. We can sort out patrols and so on in the morning."

"Icestar, I really do insist –" Goldmist began.

"There are cats that are much worse off than me, Goldmist," Icestar interrupted. "_I_ insist that you see to them first." She backed into her den and disappeared from sight.

"Let's go and see Goldmist," Silverpaw mewed, touching her nose to Nightpaw's shoulder. She was bleeding from one ear, and there was a scratch on her cheek, but her eyes were shining with pride. The two apprentices walked towards the medicine cat's den, to be greeted by a long line of cats all waiting to have their wounds treated. Snowpetal looked the worst; her white fur was coated with dust and dried blood, and she was cradling a twisted paw.

Through the bramble screen, Nightpaw could see Goldmist bent over Foxtail, her green eyes narrowed in concentration. Firedbird, his sister, was standing next to her, her tail flicking with anxiety. Foxtail was a bloody heap, groaning slightly as Goldmist prodded him with her nose.

If Foxtail was that badly injured, what could it mean for ThunderClan? Would they have to appoint a new deputy? What if Foxtail never recovered?

By the following evening, Nightpaw was exhausted. He had been on two patrols along the ShadowClan border remarking it, and he had just returned from his third hunting patrol that day. Quite a few cats were seriously injured, which meant that the healthy cats had to work twice as hard to keep the Clan running. Foxtail was still in Goldmist's den with numerous deep wounds and a broken toe, so patrols were being organised between Bluefire and Whiterock. Nightpaw had just settled down to enjoy a well-earned vole with Nettlepaw, when Icestar announced a Clan meeting. The two apprentices dragged themselves to their feet, and settled beaneath the Highledge.

"I'm sure many of you realize that Foxtail will be unable to continue his duties as a deputy for at least a couple of moons. In his place, I would like to appoint a cat to perform his duties for him while he is unable to," Icestar began. "The temporary deputy will be Darkfoot."

There was silence in the hollow. Every cat was shocked. A few even let out audible gasps. Darkfoot stood up, hardly bothering to disguise the greedy grin on his face. "Thank you Icestar," he meowed. "I will be sure to serve my Clan as best I can."

"Good," Icestar replied, looking down at her brother. "You can start by organising patrols." Icestar disappeared back inside her den, and the Clan started to disperse. Nightpaw saw the three elders, Lostfoot, Blacktail and Stoneclaw whispering urgently to each other as they returned to their den. It seemed that even the elders were worried about Icestar's choice.

Suddenly a vision clouded Nightpaw's mind. In it he was again watching Darkfoot fighting with Bloodclaw. As Darkfoot raised his paw, time seemed to slow, and Nightpaw saw that his claws were definitely sheathed. Yet again, he heard, or rather felt, the dark voice whisper in his ear. '_A time of great change is upon us. Darkness will deceive the narrow-minded, but the night shall speak the truth. The dawn will only come when shadows find their place, and stars return from the sky...'_


	5. Traitor

It had been almost a quarter moon since the ShadowClan raid, and ThunderClan was starting to recover. Darkfoot had been exercising his new power as a temporary deputy mercilessly on the apprentices, and every cat was starting to get sick of him. He had also been allowing Shadowstripe to stay in camp all day without doing a single thing, but he had sent Sparrowtail out on every single patrol for two days running. Sparrowtail had gone to talk to Icestar furiously, but she refused to hear a single word against her brother. Most cats thought that she was simply too stubborn to admit that she had made the wrong choice for her temporary deputy.

Nightpaw was out alone, on a hunting patrol. When he got back, he would still have to change the elders bedding _and_ clean their pelts, as though he was being punished. He knew that Darkfoot disliked him, but for what reason he could not understand.

Nightpaw was just contemplating the unfairness of this, when a strong scent caught his attention. It was a huge, fat mouse, the biggest he had ever seen. He dropped into the hunter's crouch, carefully placing his paws so that they made no sound on the forest floor. The mouse was too intent on the small patch of grass where he was rummaging for seeds. Nightpaw drew himself slowly closer. He was only about three tail-lengths from the mouse now, and it still didn't realise he was there.

Suddenly, a stronger scent filled his nostrils. Darkfoot. Nightpaw sat up quickly, all thoughts of the hunt forgotten. The mouse squeaked in fright and ran for cover. He tasted the air, drawing in all the scents around him. The black tom was alone, and his scent was fresh. What was Darkfoot doing so far from camp? He was sure it was nothing good. Should he follow him? If Darkfoot was doing something to endanger the Clan, then he couldn't just sit back and watch it happen. No, he would have to follow him.

Nightpaw set off along Darkfoot's scent trail. Luckily it had been dry over the last few days, so the deputy's scent was easy to follow. Nightpaw realised that the trail was leading ever closer to the ShadowClan border. What would he do if the trail crossed the border?

A few heartbeats later, Nightpaw emerged into a sunlit clearing. He could only be a few fox-lengths from the border now. He tasted the air again, and then froze with fright. He could smell fresh ShadowClan scent, probably about four or five cats. Had he crossed the border by accident? He scented the air again. No, there was no way he could have done. This was definitely ThunderClan territory. What was ShadowClan doing on their territory? Darkfoot's scent was still clear in the air.

What if Darkfoot had been meeting with the ShadowClan warriors? No. He pushed the thought firmly out of his mind. Maybe Darkfoot had driven the ShadowClan cats off of ThunderClan territory? But he was alone... Nightpaw shook his head. There was no way that one cat would be a match against five. Was Darkfoot disloyal to ThunderClan? And if he was, how was Nightpaw going to prove it?

A few days later, Nightpaw was up early. He couldn't sleep, so he decided to go for a walk in the forest to clear his mind. He pushed his way through the undergrowth until he sat on a grassy hillside, staring across the lake. The sun was rising, casting a pinkish red glow over the lake, and turning the lazy waves that slapped against the shore red. Out of nowhere, a cloud scudded over the sun, blocking the light and turning the lake black and full of shadows. He heard a horribly familiar voice whispering in his ear. _'A time of great change is upon us. Darkness will deceive the narrow-minded, but the night shall speak the truth. The dawn will only come when shadows find their place, and stars return from the sky...' _

Nightpaw felt his paws trembling with fear, but then the cloud was blown sideways and the lake was once more filled with pinkish red light. What could this prophecy possibly mean? And why did it involve him? StarClan was only meant to share with medicine cats and leaders. Had they got through to the wrong cat by accident?

Nightpaw heaved himself to his paws, and turned his back on the lake. He headed back into the forest, and found himself once again beside the old sycamore tree where he had been hunting a few days ago. If he brought back some prey for the Clan, maybe Darkfoot would let him rest for a bit. He let the air wash over his scent glands. He could smell the faint smell of mouse, a stronger smell of wood pigeon and... Darkfoot. The scent was still fresh. By now it should have faded. The only explanation was that the ThunderClan deputy had passed through here again.

Nightpaw felt curiosity pricking at his paws again. He turned and set off through the trees. He didn't need scent to guide him this time, as he knew where Darkfoot was going. When he neared the clearing, he dropped into the hunter's crouch and crept slowly through the undergrowth, until he could peer through the bracken, into the clearing.

Shock swept through him like a lightning bolt, rooting his paws to the ground. Darkfoot was here alright. And with him were Redfoot, Bloodclaw, Rippleshadow, Shadowclaw and Hawktalon. The six cats were talking in hushed voices, their head bent together. Nightpaw could just hear what they were saying.

"But what's in it for us?" Bloodclaw was hissing, his cold green eyes narrowed.

"I told you. You'll have complete power, as long as you play your part right," retorted Darkfoot.

"And what, exactly, is our part?" Rippleshadow spoke, glaring at Darkfoot, his dark grey tail swishing.

"All you have to do is meet with the others outside of the camp when I tell you. After that, it should be easy. You come around the back, and I'll meet you around the side of the camp. Then all we have to do is get rid of little miss Warrior Code," Darkfoot replied, with a hint of a snarl in his voice. "I need to go. Border patrols will be out soon, and its more than my fur is worth to get caught."

Nightpaw crept slowly backwards. When he was sure that Darkfoot wouldn't hear him, he turned tail and fled back to camp, praying that Darkfoot was concentrating too much on being back in time to notice his scent. Nightpaw burst into the hollow, looking around desperately for Icestar. He had to tell her about this, before Darkfoot could put his plans into action.

He scrambled up to Highledge and meowed a greeting as he stepped nervously into the cave. Icestar was grooming herself on her bed of moss and ferns.

"Nightpaw," she greeted him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Nightpaw nodded anxiously, and then before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Darkfoot's a traitor!" Icestar froze, in the middle of licking her paw. Slowly, she placed her paw on the ground, and stared straight into his eyes. Her cold blue gaze seemed to penetrate his thoughts, and delve down right into his mind.

"Go on," she hissed, softly. Nightpaw began his story rather hesistantly. He told her everything he had seen in the forest, as well as how he had found ShadowClan scent in the clearing a few days ago. When he had finished, Icestar seemed to be frozen. A few heartbeats passed before she replied. "You know this is a very serious accusation, Nightpaw?"

"Yes," he replied earnestly, "But I'm not lying, I promise." Icestar continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"I have no reason to believe that my own brother... no. Darkfoot has always shown nothing but dedication and loyalty to the Clan. He would never... No. No." She spoke in barely more than a whisper, her blue eyes fixed on something that seemed miles away. "I don't know what you saw Nightpaw, but I don't think you saw what you say you did. I don't want to hear another word about this."

"But Icestar –" he began.

"Not another word, Nightpaw. I mean it," she interrupted, in a tone that clearly meant that he was dismissed.

Nightpaw dipped his head, and clambered down from the Highledge, feeling defeated. If Icestar refused to belive him, what could he do? How could she ignore the danger that was right underneath her whiskers? Nightpaw would have to take matters into his own paws.


End file.
